Fraudulent school admissions
30 January 2017The first time the Government has nabbed prestigious schools in the act as it were while fraudulently admitting children to Year One, including Royal College Colombo.
According to Ministry of Education sources on the directive of Minister of Education, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, investigations have even been launched over complaints against fifteen National schools including Colombo's Royal College with regard to admission of students to Year One at the beginning of this year.
Following the directive of the Minister of Education, it has been found that students have been admitted to several National schools through fraudulent means. Education Department officials probing complaints had taken to task principals of some high profile National schools.
Educational institutions in the country have played a great role in moulding exemplary citizens in the country, in the past.
The free education system in the country has given citizens of all walks of life to enhance their knowledge with even free text books and uniforms being given without restriction.
Sri Lanka has been rated as a highly literate country in South Asia and Lankans have proved themselves exceptional in various fields internationally.
However, the trend in school admissions remains shocking with fraudulent activities such as bribes and political interference taking centre stage, ridiculing the country's educational system.
Sri Lanka has a long tradition of having an exceptional educational system with the schools established throughout the country in the past two hundred years.
Several schools have even reached the bicentennial year proving themselves in creating civilized citizens in the Island.
Principals and teachers of a bygone era sacrificed themselves in bringing out the best from their students.
Several of the prime sectors in the country have been politicized and marred by nepotism. But the educational system in the country remained unpolluted with merit taking due place.
The recent developments in the field of education are disheartening with the reputation of several National schools being tarnished over allegations against them regarding admissions of students and the administration.
Already the free education system has been ridiculed by private tuition centres mushrooming in every nook and corner in the country. Private educational institutions are emerging at an alarming rate with students agitating against setting up of private medical schools.
The complaints which have come up with the beginning of the New Year over admissions to Year One are agonizing in terms of the future of the country's educational system.
School heads and officials dealing with admissions of students to Year One have been accused of malpractice, and action has already been taken against some officials in the backdrop of the Minister of Education making the directive to investigate into the issue.
Despite free education in the country, a large number of students in their tender age remain with no access to good schools or to a proper environment for education.
Therefore, in this backdrop the fraudulent elements taking the upper hand in the education sector will lead to a state of grooming an uncivilized generation in the country.
Unlike in the past, the appetite for education is enormous among present generation of students. Unscrupulous elements cannot be tolerated and stringent measures should be put in place to eliminate the 'black sheep' in the education sector.
Investigations against malpractices over school admissions should be intensified and expedited without giving room for any political manipulations.
Proper legal measures should be taken against those found guilty of playing with the lives of innocent students who take their first step to education.
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